Swan Hotel (JD Wetherspoon), Leighton Buzzard

Official site of Swan Hotel - www.jdwetherspoon.co.uk

A large Wetherspoon’s directly opposite the Market Place, the pub also offers accommodation as it’s name suggests and was full to capacity on a recent Tuesday evening visit when I just managed to bag the last table. As a consequence, food service was somewhat slower than is usual in their establishments with a 20 minute wait, although to be fair this was pointed out to me when I ordered. The pub consists of a number of interconnected areas, although the front half feels perhaps a little more hotel like with a cream and pale blue colour scheme, whereas the rear half which includes the bar counter is more traditional. Flooring is predominantly carpet with some parquet wood around the bar area and there were some old light fittings as well as a number of beams on the ceiling, some of which had old pewter tankards hanging from them. The bar is presumably an original feature being curved and made of ornate carved wood. A number of old black and white photographs showed the local area, including the market place in the 19th Century, the nearby Grand Union canal and the Leighton Buzzard sand quarry. A long list of previous licensees suggests that it has been a hostelry for some time, unless Wetherspoons have an unusually high staff turnover. A small courtyard looked pleasant enough and included an old brewer’s dray as well as a covered area for the inclement weather. The food menu was extensive and divided in to several sections such as wraps, salads and pasta, pub classics, chicken and ribs, burgers and dogs, fresh from the grill and even an under 500 calories section. I went for a Chicken Tikka Masala which as well as rice came with naan bread, poppadums and mango chutney. It was ok, although nothing special, and I thought that at £7.50 it was perhaps a little pricey, particularly as there didn’t seem to be a massive amount of chicken in it. Beers on this occasion were Doom Bar, Abbott Ale, Adnams Broadside, Fenny Popper and Old Bloomer from the Concrete Cow Brewery in nearby Milton Keynes, Ruddles Best, Cotleigh Hoofing Commando, White Park Kelly’s Stout and Red Squirrel London Porter. Ciders were Strongbow, Thatcher’s Gold and Mr. Whitehead’s Beetroot on tap as well as a couple more options from Mr. Whitehead boxed up behind the bar.

Official site of Swan Hotel - www.jdwetherspoon.co.uk

I found this pub much as described by BF, especially the bit about wondering if they actually had a bar :-). They do seem to have upped their game a little on the real ale front; with a good selection of diverse and interesting ales.

A recent 'spoons opening with hotel rooms and a reception on the floors above the ground floor pub.The exterior is impressive with stairs up to a portico and large front door with brass shining.Inside there are a lot of original features,fireplace ,cornicing,sash windows but both to the left and right of the entrance the corporate (over bright) carpet ,ranks of dining tables with a sea of menus lowers the tone significantly. As you walk through this morass you start to wonder if there is a bar at all,but this lines one side at the rear of the building and is kitted out with traditional wood panneling, and opposite some olde worlde style furniture and a few original tables.I found this section close to the bar the best place to drink and get away from the diners. There were two ranks of five handpumps but each set had Abbott and Ruddles Bitter ,and with two other handpumps serving cider,that left just four festival ales on day 1 of the Spring Beer Fest,which I thought was poor ,amplified by finding that three of the festival ales were identical in style. There is an interesting courtyard accessable from one side of the pub and popular on a balmy evening. JDW have done well here to save a crumbling ruin and breathe new life into this listed building.But for me ,this isnt a 'spoons which will act as a show case for real ale,food seems to be the priority.

Now Open as a J D Wetherspoon